Surviving In This Filthy World As A Novel Villain

'See? That's what you call professional!' she thought. 'You can tell a lot about someone by how they handle their work. This Alex kid is pretty good, serious and responsible. No wonder he's a successful boss. Riley has good taste!' The more Ann looked at Alex, the more pleased she felt. 'As for this Eric Vaughn... what kind of psycho dares to mess with my future grandson-in-law!'

"Bullshit!" Eric yelled, losing it. "It must be you! The cameras belong to your hospital! You can change whatever you want! You definitely messed with this footage!" His voice was certain, even though he couldn't pinpoint anything wrong with the video itself. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

'Actually, you're wrong,' Alex thought, smirking inwardly. 'The video wasn't edited at all. Not a single frame was touched. But who said anything about editing the video? Changing the room number on the door is much simpler... Messing with these protagonist like Eric Vaughn is just too easy.'

The security footage itself really wasn't touched. Eric Vaughn's Master had trained him in deadly arts since childhood; his hand speed, eyesight, and reflexes were incredibly fast and sharp. Alex knew it would be too risky to try editing the video directly.

So, he had prepared beforehand. All he needed to do was swap the room number sign on a room from a different floor with the sign on this one. The layout and furniture outside the rooms were identical; a clueless guy like Eric Vaughn wouldn't notice the difference.

"Sigh!" Alex let out a breath, looking at Eric Vaughn holding the bags of waste with a hint of pity. "Why don't you understand? This whole 'doctor' thing is just something you made up in your head. You imagine you're some great healer, but really, you're just that internet guy – the one who pooped his pants at the road."

[The Protagonist 'Eric Vaughan' has a Mental Breakdown. Congratulations, you have earned 999 Critical Points.]

'Can't let that go, huh...' Eric looked defeated but still tried to defend himself. "That wasn't me! I'm not some internet celebrity! I don't even know what that is! I'm a doctor! Alex, you bastard, you definitely messed with the video! Riley, don't believe his lies! He's tricking you! He's scum! He's cheating on you with—"

Before Eric could finish, Riley jumped forward, glaring at him angrily. "I think you're the scum! You're the one talking nonsense! What kind of doctor wears a psych patient's gown and walks around showing off bags of poop and pee?!"

Riley's words snapped everyone back to reality. Right, why were they even arguing with a mental patient? In a mental patient's world, anything could seem real.

[The Protagonist 'Eric Vaughan' has a Mental Breakdown. Congratulations, you have earned 666 Critical Points.]

Seeing this, Eric got even more frantic. Things were spinning out of his control. "I really did save your grandma! Wait! The first day, after I treated her with the needles, I left a medicine prescription on the table by the bed! Only I know that formula! It says..."

However, before Eric could list the ingredients, Alex spoke first, reciting the exact herbs needed for the prescription.

Eric froze on the spot, stunned. "You... how did you know that? I developed that formula myself! I haven't told anyone!"

Not even his First Master knew. He was certain no one else in the world could possibly know that prescription.

"That prescription," Alex said, his eyes turning cold as he looked at Eric, "is the one my doctor friend gave me for Riley's grandma after examining her. He dictated it to me right outside the door here, and I wrote it down. Since you seem to enjoy eavesdropping so much, you must have overheard it then, right?"

[The Protagonist 'Eric Vaughan' has a Mental Breakdown. Congratulations, you have earned 999 Critical Points.]

Eric practically jumped in anger. "Bullshit! I worked incredibly hard to create that formula! Since when did it belong to your 'doctor friend'?!"

"See?" Alex watched the helpless rage build in Eric with amusement. "Now you admit my friend is a doctor too."

In that instant, Eric Vaughn suddenly understood. Everything became clear.

From the very beginning, this man, Alex, had been targeting him, setting traps for him at every turn.

"Alex!" Eric demanded, "I have no problem with you! Why are you plotting against me? Why target me like this?"

He then looked at Riley, who was holding Alex's hand, his voice filled with bitterness. "I can prove I'm a doctor! I can use my medical skills to prove it! Go outside right now and bring any random patient in here. Whatever illness they have, I can cure it!"

….

Eric Vaughn finally got it. Except for Riley and her grandmother, everyone else in this room was one of Alex's lackeys.

Trying to argue or reason with these people was pointless, like trying to snatch a bone from a pack of dogs. They wouldn't believe him; they'd just keep tearing him down.

To prove his innocence, he needed solid, undeniable proof.

His medical skill.

Only his medical skill could prove he was the real doctor. That so-called 'friend' was just a cheap imitation, a clown trying to copy the master.

"Are you okay?" Alex stood up, looking impatient. "Still dreaming you're some all-powerful doctor? I seem to remember just a few days ago, you 'treated' the Jiang family head's father right on the street... and killed him. What, killing one person wasn't enough for you? You want to keep going?"

[The Protagonist 'Eric Vaughan' has a Mental Breakdown. Congratulations, you have earned 1000 Critical Points.]

Eric looked like he was about to lose his mind completely. "I didn't kill him! Don't you dare slander me!"

"While mentally ill patients might not be legally responsible for killing someone," Alex said, sounding suddenly very righteous and official, "now that you've been admitted to our hospital, we have a duty and responsibility to watch over you. We need to prevent you from going out and harming more people under the excuse of 'treating' them."